How Much Do Premier League Referees Get Paid?
Premier League referees are among the best-paid officials in world football — but the figures are still modest compared to the players they oversee. Here is a breakdown of what referees earn, how the pay structure works, and how salaries compare across the game.
Premier League Referee Salary: The Figures
As of the 2025/26 season, Premier League referees earn a base salary of around £70,000 per year, plus a match fee of approximately £1,500 per game officiated.
A referee who takes charge of 30 matches in a season — a reasonable workload for a Select Group 1 official — would earn roughly £115,000 in total. The top officials, who handle the most high-profile fixtures including European matches, can earn more.
Figures are not published officially by the Premier League or PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited), so these are based on reported industry estimates.
How the Pay Structure Works
Premier League referees are employed full-time by PGMOL, the body that governs match officials across the professional game in England. This changed in 2001, when referees moved from a semi-professional model to full-time contracts.
Pay breaks down into three components:
- Retainer/base salary — paid annually regardless of matches officiated
- Match fees — paid per game, with higher rates for more prestigious fixtures
- Expenses — travel, accommodation, and preparation costs covered separately
Assistant referees (linesmen) earn less. The base salary for a Select Group 1 assistant is estimated at around £50,000–£60,000, with match fees of approximately £800–£1,000 per game.
The fourth official and VAR officials also receive match fees, though the rates for VAR roles have not been widely reported.
How Premier League Referee Pay Compares
| Role | Estimated Annual Earnings |
|---|---|
| Premier League referee (top official) | £100,000–£130,000 |
| Premier League referee (average) | £70,000–£115,000 |
| Championship referee | £35,000–£50,000 |
| League One / League Two referee | Part-time; match fees only |
| FIFA international referee (additional) | Per-match fees on top of domestic salary |
The Premier League pays the highest referee salaries in English football by some distance. Championship referees are also full-time PGMOL employees but earn significantly less.
Internationally, top referees in La Liga and the Bundesliga earn broadly comparable amounts. Serie A officials reportedly earn in a similar range. The highest-paid referees globally are those who officiate Champions League and World Cup finals, where UEFA and FIFA add significant match bonuses.
The Path to the Premier League
Reaching the Premier League as a referee takes years. The typical route runs through grassroots football into the National League system, then the EFL, and eventually into the Select Group — the pool of officials who referee Premier League matches.
PGMOL manages two tiers of Select Group officials. Select Group 1 (SG1) referees take charge of Premier League matches. Select Group 2 (SG2) officials primarily cover the Championship and serve as a development pool for SG1 promotion.
The process from taking a refereeing course to reaching the Premier League takes most officials 15–20 years. There are currently around 20 SG1 referees in England.
The route to the top requires not just technical ability but consistency over many years at each level — there are no shortcuts to SG1.
Do Premier League Referees Get Paid for VAR Duties?
Yes. Since VAR was introduced in the Premier League in 2019/20, officials working in the VAR hub at Stockley Park receive match fees for those duties. The exact fee structure for VAR roles has not been confirmed publicly, but PGMOL officials have indicated it falls within the same general pay framework as on-field officiating.
Referee Pay vs. Player Pay
The gap between referee earnings and player salaries in the Premier League is significant. The average Premier League player earns around £3.5 million per year. A top referee earns roughly 3–4% of that.
Whether that gap should be smaller is a separate debate. The relevant point is that Premier League refereeing is now a well-paid full-time profession — which was not the case before 2001, when officials held day jobs alongside their refereeing commitments.
Key Takeaways
- Premier League referees earn an estimated £70,000 base salary plus £1,500 per match
- Total annual earnings for a busy SG1 referee typically fall between £100,000 and £130,000
- Referees are employed full-time by PGMOL, not the Premier League directly
- Assistant referees and VAR officials earn less, but still receive both a retainer and match fees
- Figures are estimates — PGMOL does not publish official salary data
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